Rubberized cloth vibration and noise-damping spacer for vehicle brakes and method for making the same

ABSTRACT

A gasket for use in an aggressive environment, e.g. as a vibration; and noise; damping spacer in vehicle brakes, has a body made of fiber cloth, at least one side of which is coated with a rubber layer penetrating into the cloth. The gasket is made by applying a rubber solution to at least one side of a body, the rubber solution thereafter being dried and vulcanised, so as to result in a thin inner rubber layer. A rubber sheet is applied to the inner layer by calendering, whereupon the applied rubber sheet is vulcanised to the inner layer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a gasket for use in an aggressiveenvironment, e.g. as a vibration; and noise; damping spacer in vehiclebrakes, as well as to a method for making such a gasket.

In disc brakes for vehicles, friction pads are pressed against arotating disc by means of hydraulic cylinders. Many of today's discbrakes use vibration; and noise; damping spacers which are mounted onthe friction pads, between the pads and the cylinders. Usually, thespacers are thin steel plates which on both sides are coated with alayer of rubber. Although such spacers function satisfactorily and giveno grinding of brakes, they are unfortunately complicated to make aswell as difficult to handle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle brake spacerwhich is much easier to make and handle.

A more general object of the invention is to provide a gasket for use inan aggressive environment, e.g. in engines, compressors, pumps andvehicle brakes. The gasket should be resistant to oil and solvents aswell as to high pressures and temperatures. It should also be easy tomake and handle.

According to the present invention, these objects are achieved by agasket for use in an aggressive environment, e.g. as a vibration; andnoise; damping spacer in vehicle brakes, characterised in that it has abody of fiber cloth, at least one side of which is coated with a rubberlayer penetrating into the cloth and including an inner layer which isapplied to the body in the form of a rubber solution, and an outer layerwhich, in the form of a rubber sheeting, is applied by calendering andis vulcanised to the inner layer.

Suitably, the body is made of glass fiber cloth, and the rubber layer ismade of nitrile rubber.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple method formaking such a gasket.

According to the present invention, this object is achieved by a methodcharacterised in that a rubber solution is applied to at least one sideof a body of fiber cloth, that the rubber solution is dried andvulcanised, resulting in a thin inner rubber layer, that a rubbersheeting is applied to the inner layer by calendering, and that theapplied rubber sheeting is vulcanised.

Suitably, the rubber solution used is a solution of nitrile rubber inalcohol.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The invention will now be described in more detail, with reference tothe accompanying drawing which shows a transverse cross section of agasket provided according to the principles of the present invention.

The gasket shown in the drawing has a body 1 made of glass fiber cloth.A suitable glass fiber cloth is, for instance, the one sold by MITEXGLASFIBER AB as article number 1581-136. This cloth has a thickness of0.21 mm. Cloths made of other fibers, such as ceramic fibers or Kevlarfibers, may also be used.

Both sides of the body 1 are coated with a layer 2 of nitrile rubberpenetrating into the glass fiber cloth. In the making of the gasket, thetwo layers 2 are applied by pulling a web of glass fiber cloth through asolution of nitrile rubber in ethyl alcohol. The applied rubber solutionis dried and hot-vulcanised so that a thin inner layer 2a whichpenetrates into the glass fiber cloth is obtained on both sides thereof.Then, a sheeting 2b of nitrile rubber is applied to both of the innerlayers 2a by calendering, whereupon the nitrile rubber sheetings 2b arevulcanised to the inner layers 2a in a Rotocure machine to produce, onboth sides of the glass fiber cloth, a nitrile rubber layer 2 made-up ofan inner layer 2a and an outer layer 2b.

I claim:
 1. A method for making a rubberized cloth vibration andnoise-damping spacer for vehicle brakes, comprising:providing a body offiber cloth having two opposite sides; applying on at least one of saidsides a coating of rubber comprising rubber dissolved in a solvent, sothat the rubber penetrates into the body of fiber cloth; drying thesolvent from the coating of rubber thereby providing an inner layer ofrubber; applying a sheet of rubber to said inner layer of rubber bycalendaring thereby providing an outer layer of rubber; and vulcanizingsaid outer layer of rubber to said inner layer of rubber.
 2. The methodof claim 1, wherein:said rubber dissolved in a solvent is constituted bynitrile rubber dissolved in alcohol.